1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in the mechanical assembly of a hard disk drive, and more particularly, to the placement of a plurality of magnetic heads over corresponding hard disks during fabrication of the disk drive.
2. Art Background
Winchester disk drives have been used in the computer industry for many years. The disks are generally rotated by a spindle driven by a spindle motor. Typically, the motor driving the spindle shaft is located below the shaft or incorporated in the spindle hub. The magnetic heads of the hard disk drive are typically mounted on arms either of a linear movement type or a pivotal movement type. During assembly, a plurality of hard disks are mounted on the spindle or other drive mechanism and the corresponding magnetic heads must be positioned over an appropriate track on each magnetic disk.
In the present invention, a plurality of "Whitney" type heads are disposed on an actuator arm which pivots permitting the heads to "fly" over desired tracks on the hard disks. Each head flies on a very thin layer of air over the disk surface. Any contamination which disrupts this air flow will cause the head to cease flying and drag on the disk instead, thereby causing damage and a loss of data. During assembly of the disk drive, it is critical that the heads be lowered into contact very gently to prevent damage to the hard disk until it is powered up and the heads begin to fly.
As will be described, the present invention relates to an improved hard disk head loader which permits the placement of magnetic heads on desired areas of a hard disk in an efficient manner, with minimal risk of damage to the magnetic media during assembly of the disk drive.